The Shrouded Vale

The cavern was somewhat damp from the underground brooks and rivers that ran through it. It didn't cause Shado any troubles. The mer was humbled by its beauty and size every time he visited it. It had become a second home to him. And now it would be home for his brethren, the Kogo Onei. He had given instructions to Daytha to prepare the place by adding food storage and pantries. Shado himself had taken the task of moving his arsenal of various weapons from Mournhold to the Vale. He saw it as a fortress for the Onei to operate out of. To protect it, Shado had spent a few months placing heavy illusion enchantments on the outside of the Vale. Ordinary folk wouldn't be able to find the entrance to it. No, only a select few worthy of joining the Onei could. And Shado would test them. Finding the Shrouded Vale would be a test itself. Gaining entrance would be another.

Shado's first test came upon K'y. K'y had shown interest in focusing on something that would benefit the people of the Dominion. And so the test began. In the ruins of Senalana, there was a tablet. Once K'y was successful in getting to the tablet, he would come upon a riddle that would give him the rough location of the Shrouded Vale. But the tablet was written in Ayliedoon, a dead language. K'y would have to be resourceful to solve this riddle. Shado had given him all the information. Now it was up to K'y whether he succeeded...or failed.

After Cutting his way through colovian troops pilfering Senalana K'y had found a tablet. "This looks nothing like a key, but I'm not one to judge." He tries to pry the tablet loose to no avail. "Well then, written in Ayleid hmm? That's no issue, but you have to come with me one way or another little rock." He pulls a couple stones from his pack. They emit a dim cyan hue in the dark. He sets them both on the tablet then sets off scribing runes on the tablet and around the stones, muttering Daedric words all the while.

The ritual complete he leaves one stone on the tablet and takes the second with him. Exiting senalana with as much haste as he had entered. He makes his way to greenshade thinking of all the spinners that he had seen there as well as the city of Hectahame. Rumored to be the heart of the valenwood. Upon his arrival in greenshade he asks a few of the bosmer inhabitants where he would find a spinners home. The bosmer give mind rattling directions as they lack the grace of literacy that he was accustomed too.

Eventually finding his way to a small cottage and the ruins of labyrinth near by, he happens upon a spinner. "Hello there friend. Would you happen to know of any places that could be mentioned in old Ayleid texts near here? Aside from those ruins of course." The spinner gave much clearer instruction than that of the bosmer he had ran into before. Leaving the spinner at his little home he finds him self near a cliff wall that juts out from the ground. He could feel a cool breeze and smell the distinct scent of various cave fungi.

He takes out the stone he had used earlier, and forces a small charge of magicka into it. A projection appears above the stone showing the tablet. "Hello? Anyone around here? I brought the key I think?" He yells out.

Shado had been waiting for K'y for quite some time. He was putting things in order in the Vale when he heard the shout from outside. Through magical means, he had amplified any kind of sound from the outside. Shado smiled under his mask and grabbed his bow and katana and headed outside.

After leaving the protection of the illusion enchantments, he stood not too far from K'y.

"Welcome to the Shrouded Vale, K'y. You've done well finding us." He took a somewhat defensive stance with his katana in his hand.

Surprised by Shado's sudden materialization he holds out his hand with the stone and projection. "I brought the tablet? I think that's what you wanted me to get, all things considered. You would not believe how many Imperials were in that ruin." Watching Shado closely he steps towards him acting oblivious still holding out one hand with the stone. As soon as he was in range of Shado, he threw the stone into the air hoping to divert his attention while simultaneously reaching to snatch his neck with the free hand.

Shado nodded at the sight of the stone and its projection. He was about to reply when he say K'y move with surprising speed by throwing the stone up. His attention was already focused on him when he made his move. Shado moved back and brought his sheathed katana up to smack his hand away. Choosing to stay on the defensive, he waited for K'y to make his next move.

K'y laughs as the sheath smacks his hand to the side. "Its probably best you don't let me get a hold of you. Other wise you'll need a paralytic and some blunt force to get me to let go. How far are you willing to take this Shado?" He asks as lightning starts rolling up his armor.

"If you can make me submit or I can make you submit." Shado kept his katana sheathed when he saw lightning charging up. He moved a little closer with his weapon held up. He kept his footing firm on the bridge that led to the entrance.

K'y now surrounded by lighting flashes up to within an inch of Shado's mask. "So be it." He says darkly with an Lightning infused fist in Shado's abdomen.

Shado started to backtrack but it was too late. He took the gut punch but managed to flex his abdomen in time. It didn't necessarily stop the punch but dispersed its energy throughout his torso. The lightning made it rather prickly. He gritted his teeth upon impact but sprang into action by bringing up an open palm under K'y's chin, moving his arm upwards in a strike similar to a punch to the jaw. Having just survived a rather nasty blast of lightning, he was able to withstand the electricity flowing through him. He spun around and attempted to deliver a kick to K'y's stomach.

K'y recoiled from the blow stumbling backwards a few paces. Seeing Shado's kick He flashes again, this time behind Shado. He begins laughing as a pale blue fire starts to build in his palm. "It's not too late Shado. You can still keep your soul."

Shado saw K'y disappear and cast a shadow image in his place. His next step was to cast an invisibility spell on himself and move away from K'y's hand. Shado's eyes narrowed at the sight of the blue fire in the mer's hand. A little too far, friend. But if thats how its going to be, so be it. His own palm burst into flames and he launched a cannon-sized fireball at K'y.

The fireball connects with his side, causing him to disrupt his build up. He lets what charge he has erupt from his hand as he sweeps a beam of pale blue fire across the general area of the fireballs origin. "This is getting interesting Shado! I haven't felt a desire to kill like this in some time! If this is just a demonstration I suggest we cease now." He reaches a open palm skyward.

Shado's eyes narrowed even further at his statement. A desire to kill that is so strong he can't stop? This is going to be a problem. He performed a shadow step and came up in front of K'y, a purple orb of magicka in his hand. His other hand had his katana drawn and pointed to K'y's throat and with a kick aimed at his chest, he tried to push the mer down before the fight got any more destructive. He clapped the hand with the dispelling spell onto the mer's forehead and brought the katana within an inch of his throat.

"Submit." Shado spoke in a dangerously cold tone.

K'y begins to laugh, "That was fun Shado. I truly enjoyed my self. You had no idea what you were getting into judging by the fact you have a blade drawn to my throat." He lowers his palm casually, smiling all the while. He pushes the tip of the blade away with a finger. "Now is there any further tests you wish to run? Or have I proven that I am capable?" He says almost joyfully. "Now that I think about it, you use skills an assassin would use. Is this what your company is? Assassins?"

Shado sheathed his sword and stood quiet for a few moments. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. But we aren't in the business of killing nor assassinating anyone. Those two are only used as a last resort. You /are/ capable, K'y. But your instinct to kill is too strong. If you can curb it, I can allow you to join." He watched the mer carefully. "We take what we do very seriously and we do not kill without reason."

K'y laughs even louder this time, "No I don't want to be an assassin anymore. I got a new way to live and that means I am not the same person. When I lost my memories I became a simple merc. My talents and desire to kill only arrive when I am thrown into a situation where its required. Killing a few hundred Daedra a day was taxing, so fighting you was fun. Now that we have that established, I did give you the opportunity to end the fight. If I did lack control I would've just brought the meteor down without a word, no exposition, no talking. And we wouldn't be standing here right now if I did." He turns to head off. "If you feel like I lack control, especially in a demonstration that you had set very little limit on. May I recommend that you don't walk up to potential recruits with a weapon in hand, and in a defensive posture."


He shows a smile. "Besides the goal was to make you submit, I achieved my goal when you had to threaten my life."